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Glory Villalobos knows there’s a life waiting for her after her soccer career is over.

It’s a thought that was at the forefront of her decision to come to Florida State from her home country of Costa Rica. It wasn’t just about joining a national collegiate soccer power. It wasn’t just about improving her already-solid soccer skills.

Villalobos, thinking pretty far into the future for a 17-year-old, wants job security once the soccer cleats are in the closet for good.

Soccer – at least a career on the field – won’t last forever, she said. So, while she’s working to bring Florida State another national championship, she’s going to make sure she gets her degree in sports management.

“I think at some point in your career – I hope it never happens – you can have an issue with your knee, an injury that can keep you out of soccer, out of the field,” she said.

“I believe at some point, soccer will end for you and you have to continue your life. For me, a career is very important to have as a background. The knowledge you can achieve in studying is very important and can make you a better player.”

That’s not to say Villalobos isn’t going to make a resounding impact on the field. She comes to Florida State armed with a bevy of experience with the Costa Rican women’s national team.

Not U-20 or the U-17 teams – though she’s played for those, too.

Villalobos has played, and scored goals for, the Costa Rican senior women’s national team. In a World Cup qualifier against Nicaragua, at the age of 14, Villalobos scored a goal for her country.

Her experiences on the international stage brought her close to other future Seminoles.

Costa Rica midfielder Gloriana Villalobos (7) and Martinique defender Aurelie Rouge (18) battle for the ball in the second half of a Women's World Cup Qualifier at RFK Stadium in 2014. Costa Rica won 6-1.(Photo: Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports)

In an “it’s a small world" scenario, Villalobos, playing as the captain of the Costa Rican U-17 team in the 2014 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, battled against Venezuela.

Costa Rica lost 3-0, largely in part to the two-goal performance from Venezuelan star Deyna Castellanos, who is now a sophomore for the Seminoles.

Now, after all of that, Villalobos is a Seminole. She went through FSU’s spring training regimen after arriving in Tallahassee in January.

Villalobos said Castellanos is one if her closest friends on the team.

“I think the level here in the United States is very good,” she said. “I think it’s comparable to the ones in CONCACAF and all of those tournaments, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to grow as a soccer player.”

One of the most important lessons Villalobos learned with the Costa Rican national team had nothing to do with her play on the field. She said midfielder Shirley Cruz gave her some advice regarding going pro too early and skipping college.

“She left when to play professionally when she was 18,” Villalobos said. “She told me, ‘Don’t make the same mistake I did, not studying. At some point you’ll end soccer. I’m almost 33 years old, I’m about to end soccer and I don’t have a career. I have to start studying.’”

Tattooed on her right wrist, Villalobos has three symbols representing her faith, soccer and her family.

“My parents taught me God is everything,” Villalobos said. “God has a plan for you, he has something for you. He knows what you want, your deepest thoughts and your deepest dreams. Faith is everything. I’m one that believes faith can move mountains.”

FSU head coach Mark Krikorian is excited about what Villalobos brings to the table.

Typically reserved when speaking about upcoming seasons, Krikorian said the quality of play as the team went through its spring schedule was worth getting excited about.

“I think, looking at the players we have that are already here with the kids that started in January and adding in the new players that are starting in August with us, we’re going to have a very talented team,” Krikorian said.

“Success or failure were not be determined by the level of talent, we’re going to have plenty talent.”

Krikorian was highly complementary of Villalobos. He noted she has a thirst to learn new things and refine her game.

“She came in here in January and I think there was a little bit of an adjustment for her to the speed and the fitness level of the American players and the American game, but she’s extremely bright,” Krikorian said. “She catches on quickly. She’s a bit of a sponge.

Before overcoming challenges on the global stage, Villalobos was battling the trials that came with – usually – being the only girl on soccer fields filled with boys.

She said while her friends were out shopping, she was practicing, which didn’t always go over well with the boys on the field.

Of course, that didn’t stop her.

“Back home, there were not a lot of girls’ teams,” she said. “I had to start playing with boys at my school and that really shaped me a lot. It’s not the same, playing with a guy, as it is playing with a girl.

“I’m not saying girls don’t have the same talent as boys. I’m the one that believes girls can have more talent than boys, but it’s different. When you play with a guy, they don’t like you. They don’t like a girl to be better than them. They can get angry. That shapes you. You have to control that and learn how to play with that.”